


Dear Journal

by NoSleepUntilVacation



Series: A Different Kind of Underswap [1]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Underswap (Undertale), Diary/Journal, Gen, Ghost Mettaton (Undertale), Robot Napstablook (Undertale), my version of underswap isn't like the common fanon version
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-11
Updated: 2018-12-11
Packaged: 2019-09-05 13:36:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16811680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NoSleepUntilVacation/pseuds/NoSleepUntilVacation
Summary: In an alternate reality where everything happened a little differently, Napstablook writes in their journals before making a big decision.





	Dear Journal

**Author's Note:**

> For some reason, I've been feeling like writing Underswap content. However, I personally am not very big on the common fanon version of Underswap, for various reasons. To give an example relevant to this story, I don't imagine Napstablook as being the type to yell "Ohhh yesss, beauties and gentlebeauties!" like their cousin; I think they'd be more quiet and philosophical. So I'm gonna try writing some stuff in my own version of Underswap, just to see how it turns out (and if people like it).
> 
> Also, in this story, Shyren's sister is named Doughremi (Mimi for short); I know she's called Shyra in Deltarune, but not only am I too attached to my headcanon, but I think the names Shyra and Shyren are too close to each other. (This is also why I have yet to give Mettaton's ghostly self a name in my main-verse headcanons; "Happstablook" is too close to Napstablook, and anything with "Metta" in it is so close to his new name that it would be a wonder that he wasn't found out sooner.) So, to compromise, "Shyra" is the sisters' family name in my fics unless I change my mind.
> 
> And yet, for this fic, I'm sticking with the common fanon name of Napstaton for Underswap Napstablook's robot form. Go figure.

1.

dear journal,

doughremi's sister "fell down" last week. we're all really worried. without her sister to help her believe in herself and keep her calm, she's been more nervous and "on edge" than ever.

happy wants to help her feel better, though. he reached out to her and told her that maybe the three of us could perform someday. she said it wouldn't be the same without her sister, but she also said that she wanted to honor her sister's memory.

if we do perform, i hope they don't mind if i stay in the background. i'm not as comfortable in the spotlight as they are...

_(The rest of the pages are filled with artwork, song lyrics, sequences of notes, and other expressions of creativity.)_

2.

dear journal,

i know i should be using these journals for writing my personal thoughts down, but i get so many creative ideas that i have to write them all down. i hope no one judges me if they read these...

3.

dear journal,

our cousin moved out today; they wanted to become a training dummy. so it's just happy and me here. i'm scared that he's going to leave to try to become corporeal. i don't know if i can handle being the only one to speak to our customers...

when i asked him about it, he told me he wouldn't leave. but something in his eyes... he seemed sad as he said it. i don't want to be alone, but if he really doesn't like it here... i don't want to weigh him down.

4.

dear journal,

we met someone yesterday. happy wanted to start a human fan club, and yesterday was the first meeting. we only had one visitor. she was really loud, and neither of us understood the cartoons she liked to watch. but she looks like she takes her work seriously.

i've been really thinking recently. we don't make a lot of money, but what if there was a way for us to afford extra help around the farm? what if we could afford to automate things, or maybe hire some workers? if we didn't have to watch over the farm all the time, happy could be able to live his dreams. he always wanted to be a big star.

i hope we meet that person again.

5.

dear journal,

this is my fifth journal, and i still keep writing down creative ideas instead of making entries. happy told me i should start a collection of journals. i don't want to put too much pressure on myself, though. what if i'm not feeling up to it one day?

6.

dear journal,

i met up with her in private, and she had a surprise for me. she had sketches of possible bodies for both me and happy... she said she could create them for us. i think happy would really love the one she designed for him, and i'd like to try the one she designed for me.

i'm scared, though. if we both go to see her, no one will be around to look after the snails. mimi wouldn't want her best friends to disappear, either. what are we going to do?

_(The journal has some more random doodles and scribblings, but unlike the others, it has a second entry.)_

dear journal,

i've made my decision. i've decided that i'm going to see if the rest of the world likes my spooktunes, and if i'm successful, i'll use the money to help our business.

don't worry, happy. i'll come back soon, and i'll help you achieve your dreams. just please don't be mad at me...

* * *

The end of the Core had become an impromptu concert hall as Chara and Napstaton performed together. More and more monsters tuned in as the two on stage sang and danced to the electronic music radiating through the area. Chara seemed to have a fire and energy that manifested in their performance, in contrast to Napstaton's smooth, stoic demeanor.

Finally, when one song ended and Napstaton looked at the ratings graph, their eyes widened.

"Oh... I've never had this many viewers before." They couldn't help but smile. "I think everyone really likes my music after all."

When the audience cheered in response, Napstaton wasn't sure whether to curl up into themselves or to burst into tears of joy. But they didn't have to answer that, because a stagehand soon came on stage with a ringing phone.

"Oh... is it time for the viewer requests already?" A look of uncertainty crossed Napstaton's face. "I don't have a lot of battery life left, but I think there's still time for one more song."

With that, they took the call. "Hello... this is Napstaton, and you're officially on TV. Which song would you like to hear tonight?"

"Napstaton, darling!"

Napstaton gasped at the voice that came through the receiver. _Happy...?_

"Before I get to my request, I just wanted to tell you that I loved your performance tonight. Sometimes I feel like a bit of a nobody, but seeing you performing on stage and getting the audience engaged in your show... it makes me feel as if I could do it too someday! You've inspired me so, so much..."

As they listened, Napstaton tried their absolute hardest not to cry. Although they'd wanted to return to the snail farm after making money, they'd been too afraid to return. They'd been more-or-less living Happy's dream; what if he saw it as betrayal and no longer wanted anything to do with his cousin? And yet, Happy's tone of voice at the moment seemed completely sincere; before leaving the farm and getting a body, Napstaton had spent enough time with him to know when he was just holding back his true feelings out of politeness.

"...anyway. I would absolutely love to hear one of your classic spooktunes, if that's all right. I don't feel very choosy tonight, so perhaps you could play one of your personal favorites?" The voice chuckled a bit. "I know that kind of defeats the purpose of a request line, but... oh, I'm going on too long. Knock 'em dead, darling!"

"Thank you so much..." Napstaton held themselves back, not wanting to blurt out their cousin's name in front of everyone.

Once the call ended, they turned back towards Chara. "This is probably going to be our last song tonight... I have to go pretty soon. But..." They smiled again. "I think the crowd really likes you. And I think... they want an encore."

Chara looked at the cheering crowd, then back at Napstaton, and nodded.

"All right... here we go." Napstaton's expression became focused again. "One, two, three, four!"

A new song started up, and Chara began to dance again, with Napstaton by their side. It didn't take long for Chara to end up back "in the zone", as it were, adapting to the music quickly and pulling off some cool dance moves.

They didn't even notice Napstaton gradually slowing down, nor did they notice them steadily retreating into the background.

It was only when the music faded out that they noticed that the room, by that point, had returned to how it was before the show started. The decorations had disappeared, the audience had left, and it was just them and Napstaton...

...except the latter was lying slumped against the wall, with no obvious signs of life.

Before Chara could even start to approach them, a familiar "NGAAAHHH!" cut through the air as Undyne finally burst through the door.

"Oh my god! What the hell happened here?" She ran up to Napstaton and investigated their body for a bit. "Oh... it's just the battery. Thank god."

As Chara walked a little closer, Undyne looked back at them and smiled. "Don't worry, punk! They're just sleeping! All they have to do is charge, and then they'll be back to normal. And even if they _had_ been destroyed..." For some reason, her smile threatened to falter. "I could just build another robot! Or two robots! Or three! An entire army of robots to kick your... _booty_ for what you did to my friend!"

She chuckled a little, and then fell silent for a moment.

"...hey, about all that stuff earlier... no hard feelings, right?"

Judging by the fact that Chara wasn't lashing out at them, Undyne assumed she was forgiven - or at least, that her life wasn't in danger.

**Author's Note:**

> I still need to come up with a lot of the details for my version of Underswap... this fic may end up being edited in the future, but I don't know.


End file.
